Automatic turn-off switch



Feb. 13, 1923.

L. S. FOLTZ. AUTOMATIC TURN-OFF SWITCH.

FILED FEB.25,1920.

A wf/vrai? L. foltz,

Afro/MHS Feb. 18, 1923. 1,445,207.

L. S. FULTZ.

AUTOMATIC TURN-OFF SWITCH.

VFILED FEB. 25, |920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- A TTORNEYS Patented Feb. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY STEWART FOLTZ, 0F FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO VERNON E. BLAKE, OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO.

AUTOMATIC TURN-OFF SWITCH.

Application filed February 25, 1920.- Serial No. 361,082.

To all whom. t mayconcera:

Be it known that I, LEROY S. FoLrz, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of Fort Collins, in the county of Larimer and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Turn-Oil' Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in automatic turn-ofi' switches, and the invention has for its object to provide a switch of the character specified adapted for interposition in electric lighting or 'heating circuits, and controlled by the passage of the current for shutting off said current at the end of a predetermined time, wherein the switch mechanism is controlled by a movable niember, which is connected to an expansion chamber containing a fluid capable of being expanded by heat, which moves said movable member when it expands to open the circuit.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan yiew of the improved switch;

Figures 2 and 3 are sections on the lines 2-2 and 33, respectively, of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a view looking from the outer side of one of the terminals.

In the present embodiment of the invention a suitable base is provided, consisting4 of a ring l of insulating material,and a disk 2 which closes the ring.` This d isk `forms one of the walls of the expansion chamber, the other being formed by a substantially cone shaped member 3 oi corrugated sheet metal, capable of belng expanded and contracted to vary the distance between the apex of the cone and the center of the base.

The large end of this cone 3 is secured to I wires 6 and 7 which are held in insulating plugs 8 threaded into openings 1n the enlargement 4.

movable member or operating handle 9 is connected with the small end of the wall 3, the said wall having ay cup shaped member 10 into which the end of the handle is threaded, and a set screw 11 is threaded.

through the cup shaped member into engagement with the handle.

A case, consisting of a body 12 and a head 13, is provided for enclosing the working parts, the body being tapered, as shown, and having its large end connected to the ring l, while the head 13 is connected to the small end, and the handle 9 is slidable through a central opening in the head 13. A pair of latches 14 is lpivoted between one pair of yOkes 15 held in the casing 12-13, the said latches being pivoted intermediate their ends and having linger-pieces extending through the head 13. The inner ends of the latches have cross pins 16 which are connected by coil springs 17, the said springs being arranged at opposite sides of the handle, as shown.

The ends of the yokes 15 are secured to insulating blocks 18 held in the casing and secured to the body 12, as shown, and to these blocks are also secured contact plates 19, to which are connected lead wires 20 and 7. The lead wire20 is connected withv the lighting circuit as is also the lead wire 6, and it will be seen from the arrangement that the heating element and the switch mechanism to be described are in series in the circuit.

Each latch has a lateral outwardly extending extension 21 and contact members 22 are secured to these extensions, the said contact members being adapted to engage and move upon the contact plates 19. Each latch hasA also an inwardly extending lug 23 on the inner side of its pivotal connection, and these lugs are adapted to engage a ring 24 which is held on an annular enlargement on the handle.

The operation ofthe device isI as follows:

When it is desired to turn on the lights the finger latches are pressed together, and the operating handle 9 springs inwardly, being pulled inwardly by the resiliency of the corrugated cone 3. The pressing of the latches 14 together closed the circuit, inner ends of the latches are held outwardly by the ring 24, and the contact members 22 are held in engagement with the contact plates 19,`

thus holding the circuit closed. K

the operating latches are their outer ends.

rying lwith it the handle member 9. After \the 'lapse of an interval of time the handle cannot return'to inward positionbecause it is held by the engagement of the lugs 23 with the inner edge of the ring, as indicated in Figure 2. The circuit will remain open until pressed together at To manually open the circuit it is only necessary to pull outwardly on the knob of the handle member. The improved switch may be used manually in the same manner as the usual snap switch. When the latches arepressed together thel lights are turned on. To turn the lights oii' the handle member is pulled outwardly. Should one forget to turn p ofi' the lights the switch will act automatically, turning of' the lights, after a certain length of time. valuable on circuits where lights are used for only short intervals, as in cellars, furnace rooms, store rooms, atticsi and out-buildings.

I t will be understood that with changes 'which willlbe obvious the switch might b/e .made a double pole switch. I claim:

1. A switch adapted to be interposed in an electrical circuit, said switch comprising 'contact plates with which the terminals of the circuit are connected, latch members having contact members for engaging tlie contact plates and normally spring pressed toward each other to cause the contactmmembers to disengage t-he plates, a movable member movable betweenthe latch members and having a conducting ring for connecting said latch mem`bers to complete the circuit and having an enlargement on which the ring is arranged to force said latch members youtwardly to close the circuit, and an eX- pansible casing to which the movable memb er is connected to be moved by the expansion and-contraction of the casing, and a heating element interposed in the circuit and arranged within the expansion casing.

2. switch of the character specied having contact plates spaced apart from each other for connection with the terminals of a circuit, a heating element carried by the switch and interposed in the circuit when the contact plates are connected with the terminals, a pair of latches having contact members for engaging the plates and arranged between the plates and normally spring pressed away from the plates and to- The device is especiallyV ward each other, a sliding member movable between the latches and having means for moving said latches apart to causey the contact members to contact with the contact plates and for electrically connecting said contact members, and an expansion chamber in which /the heating element is interposed and connected to the'movable member to move the same when the chamber is expanded.

3. A switch of the character specified comprising an expansion chamber, a heating element in the chamber, a normally operative circuit breaker adapted to be interposed with the heating element in an electrical circuit to be controlled, means controlled by the expansion chamber when in contracted position for restraining the operation of the circuit breaker vfrom breaking the lcircuit and released by the expansion of the chamber, `releasablev means in connection with the circuit breaker for holding the chamber from contracting after it has been expanded to breakthe circuit, and manually -controlled means for expanding the chamber.

4. A switch of the character specied cornprising an expansion chamber, a heating element in the chamber, a normally operative circuit breaker adapted to be interposed with the heating element iny an electrical circuit to be controlled, means controlled by the expansion chamber when in contracted position fory restraining the operation of the circuit breaker from breaking the circuit and released by the expansion of the chamber, and releasable means in connection with the cir' cuit breaker for holding the chamber from contracting afterv it has been expanded to break the circuit.

5. A switch of the character specified. comprising a thermostat and a circuit breaker adapted to be interposed in an elec. trical circuit, said circuit breaker being normally spring controlled to break lthe circuit, means in connection with the circuit breaker and controlled by the thermostat for preventing the operation of the circuit breaker to break the circuit until a' predetermined degree of heat is attained at the ther-` mostat, and means in connection with the circuit for preventing the thermostat from operating the circuitI breaker to close the circuit after the circuit has been broken, said means being releasable.

6. A switch of the character specified, comprising contact plates spaced apart from each other for connection with the terminals of a circuit, contact members mounted to move into contact with the plates to close the circuit and to move toward each other4 t0 open the circuit and normally spring4 drawn together, a heating elementl ad l to be interposed in the circuit and expans` le under heat and having means in connection therewith and moving between'the Vcontact degree.

7. A turn off switch comprising a control handle, a heat operated member for actuating said control handle, a latch associated with said handle and having a hand grip forming a means whereby the latch may be operated, stationary and movable contacts associated with said latch, there being means between the control handle and the latch for holding said stationary and movable contacts in engagement with each other during the inactivity of said heat controlled member, said heat controlled member being adapted to move said handle and said means whereby to' break the connection between the stationary and movable contacts when the heat exceeds a predetermined degree.

`8. A turn off switch comprising a control handle, a heat operated member for actuating said control handle, a latch associated with said handle and having a hand grip, forming 'a means whereby the latch may be operated, stationary and movable contacts associated with said latch, there being means between the control handle and the latch for holding said stationary and movable contacts in engagement with each other during the inactivity of said heat controlled member, said heat controlled member being adapted to move said handle and said means whereby to break the connection between the stationary andcinovable contacts when the heat exceeds a predetermined degree, said second means consisting of enla-rgments formed on the opposed sides of said handle and said latch. 9. A turn oi'l' switch comprising a control handle, a heat operated member for actuating said control handle, a latch associated with said handle and having a hand grip, forming a means whereby the latch may be operated, stationary and movable contacts fassociated with said latch, there being means between the control handle and the latch for holding said stationary and movable contacts in engagement with each other during the inactivity of said heat controlled member, said heat controlled member being adapted to move said handle and said means Ywhereby to break the connections between the stationary and movable contacts whenv the heat exceeds a predetermined degree, and a casin receiving said heat controlled member an the adjacent portion of said handle and the major portion of said latch, the rear portion of said handle and the hand grip of said latch being extended exteriorly of said casing.

10. A turn off switch comprising a conltrol handle, a heat operated member for actuating said control handle, a pair of latches associated with said handle and having hand grips, stationary and movable contacts associated with said latches, there being means between the control handle and the latches for holding said stationary and movable contacts in engagement with each otherduring the inactivity of said heat controlled member, said heat controlled member being adapted to move said handle and said means to a predetermined point whereby to break the connection between the stationary and movable contacts, and spring means connecting said latches.

l1. A switch comprising a longitudinally movable handle having an enlargement, latches having lugs engaged by said enlargenient, spring means for urging said lugs into engagement with said enlargement, contacts associated with said latches, and a heat operated means for actuating said handle.

12. A switch comprising a longitudinally movable control handle having an enlargement intermediate its ends, latches pivoted intermediate these ends and having lugs, spring means for urging said lugs into engagement with said enlargement, stationary contacts, and relatively movable contactsv carried by said latches.

13. A switch comprising a longitudlnally movable control handle having an enlarge-- ment intermediate its ends, latches pivoted intermediate these ends and having lugs, spring means for urging said lugsinto engagement with said enlargement, stationary contacts, relatively movable contacts carried by said latches, and automatic means connected to the forward ends of said handle for moving thel handle longitudinally.

LEROY srnwaar FoLTz.- 

